Authorities indifferent as police station runs from Balianwali Fort

Authorities indifferent as police station runs from Balianwali Fort
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Balianwali (Bathinda), August 29
Thanks to the indifferent attitude of the authorities concerned, the Balianwali Fort, which was established around 1810 as part of the Jind Estate, is now in a dilapidated condition and crying for attention.
The strong boundary walls are collapsing and the whole fort, one of the historical monuments, is on the verge of turning into a debris. Despite this, no one is ready to pay a heed to its pathetic condition.
Taking advantage of the attitude of the Department of Tourism, Department of Archaeology and Museum and the villagers, who were supposed to take care of the Fort after the Jind Estate came to an end, the Punjab Police took over the structure. Ironically, cops have painted Police Station, Balianwali, at the main entrance of the Fort.
According to information collected from villagers, about 200 years ago, the king of the Jind Estate, Raja Rajput and his brother Baba Alam, got the foundation stone of the Fort laid by Baba Gudarh Ji. Later, Raja Rajput granted 14 villages in the Fort's vicinity to his brother with the right to collect taxes for his livelihood. After that, a gurdwara in the name of Baba Gudarh Ji was established in the Fort.
According to unconfirmed sources, a small police post was also established in the Fort during the period of Jind Estate. With the end of the Jind Estate, the Fort was vacated and it was said that the land of the Fort belonged to no one. However, the Punjab Police allegedly encroached upon it and modified it as per their requirements.
The police station catered to 16 villages, including those that were highlighted in the media during the militancy period in Punjab because some extremists hailed from there. The huge gate of the Fort is still there. It remains open as it is the lone entrance to the gurdwara and the police station.
A major part of the Fort is being used as a store by the police, officially called the Maalkhana. Showing scant regard for the rules, the cops have allegedly tampered with the electricity meter installed there and are receiving direct power supply. "Had it been preserved, the Fort could have been in the list of historic monuments. Ironically, the police has encroached upon it. Sometimes, we plan to renovate it but finding the cops reluctant to leave the place, we chose not to court a controversy," rued some villagers sitting outside the Fort.
Speaking over the phone, Husan Lal, special secretary-cum-director, state tourism, said, "As the Fort is not a protected one, the department has no proposal for its renovation."
About the alleged encroachment of the police on the Fort, the officer said he could comment only after going through the records of the Fort.
Bathinda SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill said, "It is not a lone case where a police station is being run. However, we are making efforts to get land in the village to set up a modern police station there. Once a new police station gets constructed, we will immediately leave the Fort as it is unsafe for our staff also."